


Loose Lips

by Maverick



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 11:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1646780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maverick/pseuds/Maverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As someone who normally never saw it coming, it was with alarming clarity that John knew the exact moment he realized he had the hots for one Meredith Rodney McKay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loose Lips

**Author's Note:**

> With many thanks to **pollitt** for beta and **txtart** for her Rodney mouth picspam. 

As someone who normally never saw it coming, it was with alarming clarity that John knew the exact moment he realized he had the hots for one Meredith Rodney McKay. Oh sure, it had probably been building for months -- maybe even years -- if he was honest with himself, which he decidedly was not. The fact that said Eureka moment centered around Rodney stuffing an entire full size Snickers bar into his mouth all at once -- chewing and swallowing obscenely while still carrying on a conversation with John -- was already more a truth about himself than he could probably handle.  
  
The problem with such realizations though is that once you recognize them there's not really any way to avoid them. So even when he tried not to, even when he told himself he couldn't, he found himself staring at Rodney's mouth.  
  
Every. Single. Day.  
  
Up until that point, John had always thought of himself as a whole package kind of guy. He never dated a girl because of her perfect breasts and he never fucked a guy because he had a great ass. Sure, those things helped, but he liked to think he could see past the physical to the person underneath. But with Rodney...Christ with Rodney, all John could think about was his mouth.  
  
That wasn't entirely true. It wasn't like he didn't appreciate Rodney's quicksilver mind or his cutting sense of humor. And he could admit he liked McKay's solid build and startling blue eyes. It was just hard to be around Rodney each and every day and not focus in on his mouth. That mouth that could talk a mile a minute, that mouth that could morph from sarcasm to pure joy at Mach 9. That mouth that would chew on the skin of his thumb when he was nervous or pout like a five year old when Elizabeth said no to one of their plans. That mouth that could down an entire thermos of coffee without even a pause in swallowing no matter how hot it was. He prided himself on his control, on his ability to lock down his emotions, but Rodney always seemed to have a knack at knocking that control loose. And one day-- probably one day soon -- it was going to come back and bite John in the ass. Just as he always suspected, self-awareness sucked.  
  
It all came to a head during the latest team night.  
  
They'd started having them more regularly after they lost Carson. Oddly enough it was Rodney who suggested it. Actually, come to think of it, it wasn't odd at all. After Rodney's accident with Zoltar, as John named the latest Ancient FUBAR device, he attempted to continue his good works. Of course that didn 't mean that Rodney stopped being Rodney, he still bitched and berated at any given moment. But John could tell that it was now tempered with the knowledge that he was loved and respected.  
  
And it didn't stop Rodney from mocking his name for the device. "Yes, yes," Rodney had said the first time he heard John call it that. "Of course you'd identify with Tom Hanks pretending to be a kid. Let me guess, you spent your first real paycheck on trampolines, silly string and baseball cards."  
  
Okay, so he might have paid a lot of money for the Doug Flutie rookie card, but he wasn't going to admit that to McKay. Just for that crack he made Rodney plan the menu for the next get together. It had become a thing. They decided that each one of them would pick and present a meal that meant something to them. John took point and shuttled his team to the mainland for an old-fashioned clambake like he used to have with his grandparents on the Cape. It was without a doubt one of the best nights he could remember having in this galaxy or any other. He was pretty sure the others felt the same way. Hell, even Rodney looked happy and never once complained about all the sand.  
  
When it was Ronon's turn, he cooked the Pegasus equivalent of chicken and dumplings entirely from scratch. He explained that on Sateda when a man chose a wife, he had to prepare a meal for her entire family and only if all members of the family gave the meal a thumbs up could the girl answer yes. While that seemed kinda harsh, John figured that's why Satedan marriages probably lasted longer than his own spur of the moment, midnight drive to Vegas elopement had.  
  
And Teyla... they all kind of lived in fear of Teyla and her cooking. She was a true leader of her people, a skilled negotiator, and could kick all their asses if need be, but her culinary skills pretty much started and stopped at her stout tea. Not that they'd ever admit that to her. Even Rodney knew better, so no, it was probably a good thing for all of them that he made Rodney go next.  
  
John didn't know what he was expecting McKay to come up with, but it certainly wasn't barbecue ribs-- Memphis barbecue at that.  
  
Rodney smiled at him when he heard John's stomach growl in appreciation. "I thought we'd let Teyla and Ronon help decide the debate for us."  
  
It seemed both John and Rodney has spent some time in Memphis and sampled the world famous barbecue the city had to offer. They got into an argument about who had the best barbecue ribs in town. John favored the amazing dry rub slabs of ribs from Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous while Rodney was all about Corky's wet ribs which were slathered in their unmistakable barbecue sauce.  
  
So as soon as they were all settled in the room they requisitioned as the team lounge, John found himself sitting across from Rodney as he devoured the first of many ribs. His fingers were covered with barbecue sauce and he kept popping them into his mouth and sucking them clean. Neither Ronon or Teyla seemed to notice as they were busy enjoying their own barbecue. So John was in his own private hell. When Rodney's tongue darted out to lick the sauce that had dripped between his fingers and down onto his wrist, John had to get up and excuse himself.  
  
He stepped out onto the balcony and took a few deep breaths. He knew he had to get a grip and go back inside, but knowing and doing were two very different things. It became a moot point when Rodney walked out onto the balcony as well.  
  
"The fact that I'm clearly right about the ribs is no reason to fling yourself over the edge. I'd think you'd be used to me being right by now." His tone was light, but John could read the concern and confusion in his eyes. "I thought you'd like the barbecue."  
  
John nodded. "Oh, I do. I just needed some air. Ate too fast or something." He was trying very hard not to stare at the barbecue sauce mustache that Rodney was sporting, but it was a losing battle. "You've got a little..." he said, his fingers making a circle around his own mouth.  
  
Rodney ran his tongue around his lips and then wiped his thumb across them. "Hazard of good barbecue, I guess. A price I'm more then willing to pay."  
  
"This was a nice surprise McKay. Good planning."  
  
The crooked joyful smile that Rodney shot him nearly took John's breath away. It triggered an adrenaline rush not unlike the one he had his first time up in a plane -- the one that said this was what I'm meant to do.  
  
Rodney didn't quit smiling. "Thanks. Teyla and Ronon seem to like it as well. We should probably head back inside or there won't be any left."  
  
John knew that is was now or never. And it was the thought of never that propelled him forward. He pushed off the ledge and finally let himself focus on what he wanted.  
  
"What? What? Do I still have barbecue sauce on my mouth?" Rodney brought his hand up to wipe his mouth again.  
  
John shook his head and took a step closer.  
  
"Then why are you staring at my mouth?" Rodney's eyes went wide when he got it. "Oh," he exhaled just as John's mouth pressed against his.  
  
It was even better than John had imagined. And he'd imagined it a lot, even if he'd never let himself believe it was a possibility. Rodney's mouth was made for kissing, pure and simple. His lips were agile and strong, and his tongue... that tongue was as pushy and arrogant as its owner pretended to be. John may have started the kiss, but Rodney had taken over with gusto. His fingers -- still stained from the barbecue -- dug into John's shoulders like he was afraid that he might try and get away. John had no intention of going anywhere.  
  
When Rodney pulled back, his lips were visibly wet and swollen. "Just to be clear, this isn't because you decided I was right about the wet ribs right?"  
  
John laughed and pushed Rodney back against the side wall so he could see if Ronon or Teyla came looking for them. "No, you're still wrong, but I have to say, I might have a new appreciation for them."  
  
Then he was kissing Rodney again, and he knew with another bolt of clarity that it had never been just about a mouth at all.  
  
It had been _Rodney_ all along.  
  



End file.
